1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to pet beds, and more particularly pertains to an improved portable pet bed provided with facilities for cooling a pet. Furry pets such as cats and dogs are frequently overheated during the summer months, especially when being transported in a vehicle. In order to maintain these pets as comfortably as possible during such transportation, the present invention provides a pet bed which utilizes an ice filled container to cool a pet mattress and to store a supply of drinking water.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various types of pet beds are known in the prior art. A typical example of such a cooled pet bed is to be found in U.S. Pat. No. 2,661,718, which issued to A. Ruport on Dec. 8, 1953. This patent discloses a cooling unit for rabbit hutches which utilizes a plurality of cooling coils fed with a fluid cooling medium by a conduit. U.S. Pat. No. 2,715,315, which issued to G. Giardini on Aug. 16, 1955, discloses a wrist band applicator having a housing receiving a quantity of ice and a strap for securing the housing to the wrist of an individual. U.S. Pat. No. 2,959,938, which issued to G. Giardini on Nov. 15, 1960, discloses a body cooling device having a housing for holding a quantity of dry ice for cooling body parts of an individual. U.S. Pat. No. 4,064,835, which issued to L. Rabenbauer on Dec. 27, 1977, discloses an air conditioned pet bed wherein a portable unit is provided with an insulated bottom portion containing reusable pre-frozen chemical ice packs and a top portion which fits over the bottom portion and has a planar perforated surface to provide an area for a pet to recline and prevent direct contact with the ice packs, thereby providing cooling of the pet through the perforations in the top portion. U.S. Pat. No. 4,691,664, which issued to W. Crowell on Sept. 8, 1987, discloses a pet dish for serving liquids to small animals which includes a base housing containing a frozen gel for maintaining the liquid at a reduced temperature over extended periods.
While the above mentioned devices are directed to cooled pet beds, none of these devices disclose a pet bed having a base which serves as a pet drinking dish and an insertable cooling unit which serves as a canteen for storing a quantity of drinking water for human and animal consumption. Inasmuch as the art is relatively crowded with respect to these various types of pet beds, it can be appreciated that there is a continuing need for and interest in improvements to such pet beds, and in this respect, the present invention addresses this need and interest.